death-bed
(ˈdɛθbɛd)
Also 5–6 ded-, dead-; 6 death's bed.
a. The bed on which a person dies; the bed of death. (In OE. the grave.)
| Beowulf 5795 Nu is..dryhten Geata, deað-bedde fæst. c 1400 Gamelyn 24 On his deeþ bed to a-bide Goddes wille. a 1500 Childe of Bristowe 100 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 115 On his ded bed he lay. 1550 Coverdale Spir. Perle xii, By him that lieth on his dead-bed. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 29 When as he..lay vpon his deathes bed. 1604 Shakes. Oth. v. ii. 51 Sweet Soule, take heed, take heed of Periury, Thou art on thy death-bed. 1732 Pope Ep. Cobham 116 He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave. 1874 Stubbs Const. Hist. (1875) I. vii. 201 Canute's division of his dominions on his death-bed. |
b. attrib. Freq. (with derogatory implication) in death-bed confession, death-bed repentance; also transf., of a belated change of conduct or policy.
| 1691–8 Norris Pract. Disc. (1707) IV. 185 Such a Death-bed charity is too near akin to a Death-bed repentance, to be much valued. 1771 ‘Junius’ Lett. I. p. vi, A death-bed repentance seldom reaches to restitution. 1816 Scott Tales My Landlord Introd., To answer funeral and deathbed expenses. 1888 A. C. Gunter Mr. Potter of Texas vi, Curse him and his death⁓bed confession! 1963 Times 2 May 17/3 It was deplorable that it should have needed unemployment of more than 900,000..to extract even this rather meagre deathbed repentance from the Government. |